Dirt Candy

We had been waiting for a long time to dine here and we final did during a recent trip to NY. The server «over» recommend the number of items to order stating that each dish is very small etc. We ordered 6 items in total. By the time our main order came out, we were completely full and unable to eat it. What a waste. The service was not great and the cocktails we ordered were lifeless. Very disappointed overall. The menu by the way is far too flashy and hard to read. Each item is essential a logo/​graphic, each with different fonts. Busy and fussy for no reason.

Delicious food. Dope concept. Great to see another restaurant that caters to us veggie noshers and serves quality food with quality ingredients. The carrot sliders were phenomenal as was the eggplant dish. I had the onion chocolate tart with was soooo good (and I’m definitely not a dessert person). Highly recommend. Our server was exceptional and very knowledgeable about the food and the menu. We had seats at the hightop table which we actually liked because we got to watch them make the food.

One of THE BEST vegetarian restaurants in the city. I regularly wait 4 weeks just to get a midweek seating… and it’s WORTH IT!

This place was amazing. Still thinking about the dishes and I’m not vegan. Everything tastes amazing and the monkey bread was so good I finished it myself. I highly recommend everyone come here at least once. Interesting list of cocktails as well.

Woowoowowow.
I am neither vegan nor vegetarian, but man oh man did I love my Dirt Candy experience and the amazing things they do with vegetables.
My friend and I opted for the tasting menu, and I’m so glad we did! I highly recommend it, since you have the opportunity to sample nearly everything on the menu (and if there’s something specific you don’t want to miss, just let your server know and they’ll make sure it’s included).
Everything was phenomenal, but some highlights: the korean broccoli (some people on Unilocal have referred to it as ‘crack’– yes, I agree); the cauliflower curry; and the fennel. The rutabaga cake/​nest was also really interesting, and the shining star for me was the onion dessert– a chocolate tart with caramelized onion, absolutely amazing– it sounds weird but seriously, go for it!
Service was absolutely superb.
If you want something special and unique and aren’t afraid of vegetables, seriously, make a reservation, totally worth every penny!

I finally made it to Dirt Candy!!! I have never wanted to go to a «tasting menu» restaurant because fancy chefs are always such begrudging jerks about vegetarians, but Dirt Candy celebrates my kind & makes unstuffy, delicious vegetables.
To be honest, we ordered TOO MUCH food. If I could take it back, I’d order one fewer dish: the paneer fries were disappointing to me. Take their plate recommendations a little lightly. But the broccoli hot dog that got lots of PR last year was a winner and the korean fried broccoli was my favorite dish.
Service was wonderful. They are not stuffy about helping you find a wine for your palette if, like me, you thought the natural wines tasted a little funky. Plus, tip being included in food costs helps lesson the pain when you get the bill.

Leaving full here comes at a cost.
The food here is unique and tasty, but damn are the portions small! The monkey bread they give is soo good but portioned for a mouse. Thankfully they give more refills.
I split the broccoli crack, zucchini teriyaki balls, mushrooms, carrot sliders, cauliflower curry, and brussels sprout tacos among two other people. The brussels sprouts and carrot sliders were the standouts. The brussel sprouts are the largest portion dish they offer, and I probably could have eaten the entire thing alone. If I go back I’d probably order that as an entrée.
I also got the southern lemonade cocktail which wasn’t anything special. It didn’t really taste like lemonade.
All in all I think this restaurant is most appealing id your a vegetarian or vegan, otherwise you might leave a little unsatisfied.

GREAT PLACE FOR A FOODIE
This was my FIRST vegan restaurant and it was the greatest experience. We came here with my brother and sister-​in-​law late on a Saturday around 9:30. We were seated within 15 minutes and were given colored vegan bread served in a pot (A+ for creativity). CREATIVITY and PRESENTATION is how I would describe this restaurant. I have already told 20+ people about it (who are probably not adventurous enough to go to a vegan establishment) and they were very impressed.

Apparently it was not my choice to eat on veggie (due to the challenge I am taking on); however it is under my control to eat well.
Dirt Candy does not have too long a list of food option; yet every dish was prepared with some sort of uniqueness that brought out a slightly different flavor of the same old vegetable. We shared a couple of small plates (portion-​wise they were at the smaller side — hmm not bad, since we prefer to try out more things), and also the main dish brussel sprouts taco (seems like everyone is getting that so how can we omit…).
To be honest, there were hits and misses among the dishes. The fried broccoli has present a strong kimchi flavor, which I liked a lot. My favorite dish was definitely the tacos, which I got to try various combos, together with the sprouts. Miss happened during the dessert session. The onion chocolate tart was the weirdest one I have ever tried in my life. The onion scent was so strong that it completely dominated the whole course! Overall experience was pretty positive.
I really hope Dirt Candy is not turning myself into a vegetarian; but I could see it was tying really hard now!

Lots of restaurants make good vegetarian dishes but I appreciate the way DirtCandy strives to create unique and «out of the box» preparations using strictly vegetable ingredients-that’s the difference and what makes this place special.
The service is top notch. Servers are attentive (if a bit verbose/​long winded when explaining each dish as it comes), and the staff seem really concerned that the diner really enjoy the food and the experience. My server made every effort to accommodate me when I didn’t like something, which was just one dish.
I do find the dishes are hit or miss here, but the hits are worth returning for and make this place great.
My absolute favorite is the Korean fried broccoli. It is delicious, addictive, and one order is simply not enough (small-​ish portion). Do yourself a favor and two.
Also, don’t order too many dishes at once. Some of them are more filling than others and you might also want the option to order a second of something!
I must say, I never enjoy the large «share plates.» First of all, they are expensive. Second, none has ever really impressed me. The corn boil was the absolute worst, it was almost inedible. The Brussels sprout tacos are kind of blah, nothing special.
Greatest hits: Korean fried broccoli, hush puppies, mushroom pâté dish, carrot sliders.
The two top winners for me were the carrot sliders (delicious sauce) and the KFB. Pâté is a close third but they don’t include enough toast, in my opinion.
The $ 65 tasting menu looks awesome (both the tables to my right and left did it), and it is my plan to do that next time! It’s a lot of food, and I like that you get to taste almost everything (it’s 6 courses and lots of small plates).
Also, the cocktails are quite good. Not overly sweetened, and the flavor of the liquor really shines without being overpowering. Specifically, the Kentucky lemonade (beet juice, preserved lemons, bourbon). Wines are good too, ask your server for a recommendation.

Spectacular. They put so much energy, thought, creativity, and precision into this operation. Make a reservation far in advance. They staff are so well-​trained and meticulously explain each dish as it’s presented. Also, I love the no-​tip for a fair work-​wage. 20% is added to each check and dispersed amongst the entire crew.
Food: everything is tapas-​sized, so plan 2 – 3 plates per person and share it all. fennel– light with a nice bit from the arugula. Carrot sliders– amazing, bursting with flavor, softest bun like a pillow. The eggplant and cauliflower were average, nothing I would get again but still tasty. Dessert brought it up to a 5– the carrot meringue was light and well-​balanced with salt, sweet, and bitter, a must-​try. The chocolate onion tart (hear me out) was rich (good for sharing) with a smokey ice cream and sweet/​umami candied onions.

Dirt Candy is a culinary experience unlike any other. Delicious and inventive, Dirt Candy’s menu is completely singular and a treat to vegetarians, vegans, and omnivores (like me) alike. While I recommend you book reservations WELL in advance to snag seats at a good time (e.g., 7pm), the service is impeccable, kind, and considerate, and the clean and modern space certainly doesn’t hurt. Now to the food, all of which is vegetarian/​vegan:
NOTE: The dishes are small portion-​wise. So for a party of 4, the 4 mains, 1 shareable main, and 2 appetizers was the PERFECT amount of food. For 2 people, go with 1 appetizer, 2 mains, and 1 shareable main.
COMPLIMENTARY BREAD
*Yes, those pictures are accurate: they have vegetable-​dyed bread that looks just like ice cream. It tasted great, and I’m still blown away that they were able to concoct such a cool bread dish.
APPETIZERS
*Korean fried broccoli — as all have said, you MUST get this if/​when you go to Dirt Candy. Each bite is crunchy, fresh, AND flavorful. These pieces of broccoli are addictive, so much so that they actually rival chicken wings for me. Believe it.
*Jalapeño hush puppies — How they managed to fry these with just the right amount of jalapeño AND not dry out the hush puppies is beyond me. Super tasty.
VEGETABLES (or Mains)
*Broccoli dogs — I can’t believe I’m about to rave about a broccoli version of a hot dog, but here I am. The perfectly charred and smoked broccoli goes brilliantly with the relish, bean sprouts, and lightly toasted bun. I have never had anything like this in my life, also a must-​order.
*Carrot sliders — My favorite of all the vegetable dishes, hands down. The carrot patty was tender and paired well with the Big Mac-​esque special sauce. The toppings added a needed «crisp» to the slider, and the carrot bun was of the ideal fluffiness.
*Brussel sprout tacos — Incredibly well made, but not worth the hype. The brussels sprouts were nicely charred and smoked (like the broccoli), and there was a good variety of toppings (e.g., guacamole, tortilla strips, radish, pickled onions) to mix with the sprouts and the bibb lettuce «taco,» but the flavors were neither as complex nor as potent as the other dishes. Very good, but I’ll still take a short rib taco over this.
*Mushroom mousse — Some of the freshest tasting mushrooms I’ve had in ages, which (unfortunately) is a rare accomplishment.
*Eggplant — Delicious eggplant purée, but as good as it was, probably the least essential dish I had that night.
Overall, our meal was high quality and appropriately filling. On top of all this delicious food, the tip is included in the price. The fact that this glorious meal (with a drink) cost not even $ 50 is just the (vegan) icing on the cake. To all my fellow foodies, I IMPLORE you to check out Dirt Candy, as it truly is incomparable.

Yay:
1 star for creativity — everything we ordered featured the vegetable as the star of the dish, no tofu or faux meat here!
1 star for flavor — very interesting how they balance the texture and taste of the vegetables/​starch together (carrot sliders with carrots, carrot purée, and carrot bun?! Cmon!)
1 star for ambience — this would be a great spot to bring a date, it’s dimly lit and very romantic
Nay:
1. Food to price ratio was not very good. I cannot justify being charged $ 8 for 8 pieces of fried broccoli
2. Some dishes were not too impressive (skip the hush puppies)
3. It took a very long time in between our dishes to come out
4. I also did not appreciate the 20% administration fee that was charged to our bill in lieu of a tip… I felt like I was forced to pay something that was extremely ambiguous and unjust… what if I didn’t feel like paying 20% for tip???
Overall it was a great experience, not sure if I’ll dine here again as the menu is kind of limited and it’s easy to try all the items and get bored.

First let me just say that I had reservations about dirt candy since I’ve had a few friends say it was just an okay experience. Needless to say I was completely blown away by the food and the service!
I made reservations about a month in advance online, as a surprise for my so, and it couldn’t have been any easier. We arrived a bit early and were seated immediately. Our server, who happened to be vegan, walked us through everything with his recommendations and I was more than pleased to give everything a shot. Almost everything on the menu with the exceptions of two or three items could not be made vegan.
We tried our best not to order everything on the menu! I’d like to point out that my favorites that night were the impeccable carrot sliders (I don’t know how you did that!) and Korean fried broccoli (best fried thing I’ve ever had in my mouth). Both of which is a mouthgasm!
If you want to treat yourself or that other special someone then make sure you try dirty candy, they really know their way with veggies, no faux meats here!
P.S.
#govegan

Dirty Candy is one of the game changing vegetarian /​vegan restaurants and has been features as such on countless articles, polls and top charts based globally.
It is easy to see why from the moment you make your reservation (as much as months in advance!) until you finish off the last of your decadent tapas-​style plates comprised of all veggie, healthy and preservative free ingredients.
The level of service here is unparalleled, which might be due to the fact that the employees all receive a portion of the profits — they will not even accept tips here! When you have all employees grabbing a take on the business, you have a recipe for not only good product — but outstanding and personalized service.
My favorite dishes here were the Korean Fried Broccoli, Whatever Pickles, Hush Puppies and last but not least the Carrot Sliders on carrot buns. (See photos of each attached to this review).
The atmosphere is cozy and romantic, with real NYC new age style chic appeal that commands you to shed your preconceived notions of what vegan food should be. Enter a new world of divine pleasure and elevated senses through dishes that are beautifully and artfully crafted together, each with their own style and attraction. Forego on the «monkey bread», which isn’t vegan anyway and instead opt for the amazing vegan bread with smoked extra virgin olive oil that tastes so much like bacon I had a hard time eating it until I learned to appreciate it in it’s own right without comparison to animal flesh.

Being a planner has its benefits — like ensuring reservations at Dirt Candy
Loving the fact that they still seated us when the 3^rd in our party of 3 didn’t show for 45 min! Thank you for enabling to start getting our drink on & not standing in the cold, drafty entryway!
The Great Pumpkin for me — pumpkin juice, brandy, & OJ… it was strong & delish!
Mr got the Dark N’ Stormy — dark rum, ginger beer. It was likewise kickin’ strong
While imbibing, we shared their veggie monkey bread & the Jalapeño Hush Puppies & they were amazing — could have had like 12 more of these!
Our waiter advised their setup is much like tapas & things are brought out whenever ready, so we ordered a bunch & by this time, buddy #3 arrived to really get the party started
CARROT Sliders on carrot buns — super delish
BRUSSELS SPROUT TACOS — incredibly-​seasoned brussels sprouts w/​lettuce wrappers and accompaniments — a must get!
CAULIFLOWER — curried cauliflower w/​green pea paneer, papaya chutney and pappadam — This was like a tasty soup
BROCCOLI — my least fav — grilled and smoked broccoli dogs with broccoli kraut and mustard barbecue sauce. Too smokey for my taste
Overall, we had a blast catching up w/​good friends & the dishes added a lovely backdrop — thanks for the fun evening!

The Dirt Candy Experience
Hallelujah! A friend landed a 6 PM reservation for 2 on a Wednesday 2 months in advance for Dirt Candy. I was lucky enough to be The Chosen Friend to accompany him.
Arriving in LES by 6 PM sharp is stressful when you work for The Man in NYC. We called Dirt Candy around 5:45 to let them know that we were on the way but most likely not able to get in until 6:15. When we arrived around 6:20, the hostess assured us she received our message and saved our seats, however, we would have to leave by 8 PM for another party. There were other tables that looked available so I am not sure why it is so competitive to get a reservation.
We sat at the «bar», but it felt very comfortable, as we had great lighting and a front-​seat view of the renowned chefs all night. We ordered a Ginger Beer (raving reviews) and the non-​alcoholic Gewurtzatraminer, which was a delicious glorified grape juice.
Our waitress recommended that each person orders 3 – 4 dishes. As an alternative, parties of 2 typically order a tasting menu (8 signature dishes to share + 1 dessert per person). I’m no rocket scientist, but we figured the math added up to do the tasting menu because you get all of the best dishes to share.
Our first round was the Korean Fried Broccoli (definitely lived up to the hype), complimentary monkey bread, Whatever Pickles, and the Shanghai Shoots with beans. The Korean fried Broccoli was to die for and I definitely plan on trying to make it at home.
The second round was the Mushroom dish (my favorite!) and the Fennel dish. The mushroom dish had an exquisite taste that surprisingly was complemented by asian pears and portobello mousse. The Fennel dish is a Mediteranean-​influenced fennel and tahini combination.
At this point I was STUFFED. Although we shared the dishes equally I was ready to slip into a food coma. We sat and caught up for nearly 45 minutes when the waitress came back apologizing that the food was taking so long and she promised to make it up to us somehow.
Next came out the Black Radish Spaghetti dish and the Cauliflower Curry with papaya chutney. Both were delicious. The Black Radish was a creative spin on what you would get at an Italian restaurant and the Cauliflower Curry was a contemporary mix of a typical Indian dish.
Clearly at this point I was so full I nearly fell off my chair. The grand finale was the Brussel Sprouts Tacos, which I initially planned on ordering. Every table in the restaurant ordered the Brussel Sprouts Tacos, and it was no coincidence. Expect full blown make-​your-​own fresh tacos, with a replacement of green lettuce for tortillas and seasoned brussel sprouts for meat. With guac, avocado sauce, sour cream, fried tortilla chips, onions, cheese, and more as toppings, the Brussel Sprouts Tacos were king. It is another dish I plan on making myself at home.
Tasting menu life offered us one dessert each so we could not refuse. I had the Corn Cake with Popcorn Ice Cream (!!) which tasted unlike any dessert I have had before. My friend had the Celery Cheesecake which was tasty. Because our dinner took so long, the waitress threw in the Carrot Meringue Pie with Sour Cream Ice Cream on the house. It was a bit too sour of a dessert for my taste but if that sounds good to you go for it.
In terms of ambiance, the restaurant had a warm vibe where you could be social with others and also have a private conversation. The washroom smelled like a field of lavender and literally had recordings of birds chirping. Describing the vibe as pleasant would be an understatement.
The tasting menu took 3 hours total and was $ 65 a person, which no one mentioned up front. There is no tip (we had 5 waiters?!) but there is a 20% Administration Fee tacked on to your bill. All in all, we had a very unique dining experience and I would recommend this joint if you want to impress your foodie, vegetarian, or vegan friends. I’m a carnivore but this was an awesome time. Thanks Dirt Candy!

When my friends said we’d be having brunch at Dirt Candy, I was excited! I had read about Amanda Cohen’s creations from the start and looked forward to my first visit.
DC’s website notes that there are no reservations for brunch, but suggests that you show up a little after noon. We showed up then and there was thankfully no long line. We sat a table by the bar and were in a bit of limbo for a bit, but we got an apology once we were seated, so it was all good.
It took a bit, but someone came over to take our order. I ordered the Jealous Mary and we put in for some starters and our meals.
Our server had said that the Jealous Mary was the best drink on the menu. She did warn me that it was spicy and it sure was. It was too spicy for my taste and it left me wondering what the Bloody Carrie was all about.
We went with the pastry party and the squash biscuits for our appetizers. The biscuits were definitely a highlight of our brunch. They were so good with the pumpkin butter and marmalade. Definitely try them! The pastry party included mini sticky buns, beet coffee cake, and a chocolate croissant. The sticky buns were good and the coffee cake echoes the Hostess version from your childhood, but healthier. As for the croissant, I’m not sure about the decision to mix onion in with the chocolate inside. Did someone eat a chocolate croissant and say, «You know what this needs? Onion!»
The great thing about the brunch entrees is that all can be made vegan except for the Canadian Cracker, which is a waffle. I went with the Huevos Rancheros, which was tofu and served with green sauce. A solid choice. You can get salad or potatoes with your dish. I got salad, but the potatoes were a greasy, tasty treat. Nice and crispy, too!
Zucchini pancakes with squats blossom butter was a sweet surprise. Another thumbs up. The carrot granola is a nice mix of crunchy and creamy.
The greens sandwich was underwhelming as a pile of cooked greens on a roll sounds. Our waitress did the right thing and offered a replacement after she checked in on us. The beet sandwich was a definite improvement.
Dirt Candy is definitely a star on New York’s vegetarian scene. It’s new space takes the restaurant to a whole new level. At that level, you do expect a certain evenness to the service and the food. While everyone was nice, it did feel like we were forgotten for stretches of time. Our water glasses went unfilled and at times it was unclear who was covering our table.
One last thing: DC is another spot that has made the move to no tipping and including a service fee in the bill. If this means a living wage for the staff and it saves me the math, I’m all for it!

I don’t really know what just happened. The last thing I remember was shoveling fried broccoli into my face and thinking, «Who needs meat?!»
Please understand, I love meat. I love everything about meat. But between 6 and 7pm last night, I couldn’t have missed it less.
The food at dirt candy was so flavorful, texture-​conscious, and fresh I couldn’t help but feel spoiled eating it.
Even the complimentary monkey bread was insane. As I sat at the chef’s island watching them pull those things hot out of the oven, I knew I was in for something special. Let’s just say that bread was finished a couple minutes after it arrived.
In addition to the fried broccoli (and all the bread), I also put my face in the Brussels sprout tacos for two.
Now, when I stumbled into Dirt Candy, I happened to be riding solo (per usual, let’s be honest). So it may seem odd that a lady of one would order a dish meant for two. Apparently that’s exactly what one of the waitresses figured (can’t blame her, of course), because the table of three next to me that had just sat down (and also ordered the Brussels sprouts) ended up with the dish first.
She quickly realized her mistake and the wait staff was so sweet and apologetic about it.
Plus, the Brussels sprouts were worth the wait. Sizzling, aromatic, nutty, and not the tiniest bit bitter, Dirt Candy’s sprouts could convert any Brussels sprouts-​hater. The toppings it came with and the lettuce wrap «tacos» added to the freshness and gave the dish a great crunch.
In sum, I don’t care who you are or how much you love meat. If you enjoy thoughtfully crafted, insanely flavorful fresh food, go to Dirt Candy. You’re welcome.

Was excited to try Dirt Candy, after hearing the chef on NPR and finding out it was one month wait for this veggie palace. Overall, extremely creative cooking, reminding me of a veggie Wylie Dufresne, but also terribly overpriced, with drinks that did not quite make it $ 13 «artisinal» cider that was meh, and a menu that gets more points for its creativity than its taste. Could spend half the amount and get twice the flavor at Red Bamboo. Sorry guys, great idea, but no veggie cigar.

We went for brunch last time we visited NYC. It was honestly more of a 3.5 experience. I love the spaciousness and brightness of their new location, though I don’t love the new spot. It’s a bit deep into the Lower East Side. We were seated without a reservation — unheard of at the old, smaller Dirt Candy location in the East Village. Service was friendly and attentive. We thought brunch food prices were very reasonable, however, cocktails were borderline outrageously priced. A brunch drink shouldn’t be the same price as food. We decided to forego cocktails and just split a few dishes. We ordered:
— Zucchini Pancakes (for sweet) — These were about 7 or so silver dollar pancakes, dusted with powdered sugar. They were fun, but almost more snack-​sized. They had good flavor and certainly no overwhelming zucchini scent. However, they felt a bit oiled/​fried, which seems unnecessary with pancakes.
— The Greens Sandwich (for savory) — This was a very large sandwich, which is a plus, especially considering the size of the pancakes. It mostly tasted like salad on bread to me though. My fiancé liked it a lot though (he did layer on a fair bit of hot sauce though).
We were still a bit hungry (and were trying to stretch this meal for breakfast and lunch), so we ordered the carrot granola too.
— Carrot Granola — This was a thick labneh yogurt with carrot marmalade and super crunchy granola. Again, not a massive serving size, but the perfect thing to top us off. The marmalade had a good tang to it, though this, like a few other dishes at Dirt Candy, was almost too inventive, if that’s a thing. Sometimes a chef can still be inventive without going soo far out of the box, and it seems like sometimes Dirt Candy is quite far out. Still, food is generally good.
We may go back next time we’re in NYC, but considering there are so many other restaurants we love there, we wouldn’t run back.

Found this place while waiting for a bus to Boston. Now it’s my go to for boozy brunch! I love everything about this place. I can bring my daughter or my out of town friends to do brunch here with no complaints! Beet Mimosa is my favorite here! Fun Vegan options as well!

I’ve been wanting to come to Dirt Candy for a long time now, and thankfully was able to take my friend’s reservation and get a chance to dine there (FYI — make reservations in advance, as they get booked quickly).
Now, mind you, this is not your normal vegetarian/​vegan restaurant. It’s an eclectic fusion of culinary creativity by cooking vegetables in a very unique way, with a plethora of spices and other ingredients. Yes, you’re going to pay a premium, and yes, you’re still just eating vegetables among other things, but the meticulously prepared meals are what you’re spending your hard earned money on.
When you walk in, there’s the host/​hostess stand in front of you, with a few high-​tops and a bar behind it. Looking to your right, there’s the rest of the dining area, and smack dab in the middle of the restaurant is part of the kitchen. You can sit at the U-​shaped «bar», where you can watch the culinary artists prepare the food that you’re about to devour. The actual kitchen is behind a wall and some doors, but I believe we were looking into the prep stage. My friend and I sat at the bar, and directly in front of us, someone was putting together different dessert dishes. The décor is super nice, with dark floors and tables, white walls, and trees painted on them. Very modern, simple, and fresh. The restroom is also very cool and one of the nicest public restrooms I’ve been in — there are sounds of birds chirping while you do your business… what more could you ask for? It’s also super clean.
They have a cool wine list, and it’s not your standard wine list (in a good way) — it includes small batch wine from organic wineries, but the rest of their drink list is fairly standard and not as much variety as I would’ve expected. I opted for a glass of red, but I honestly can’t remember which one it was.
Now, onto the food…
Homemade Bread and Garlic Butter — our waiter gave us the complementary monkey bread bun, which is shaped like little ice cream scoops in a cone — pretty cool/​fun. They were all different colors and made out of different vegetables which is really unique. Most of the bread was tasty and fluffy… not too chewy.
Korean Fried Broccoli — to echo almost all other Unilocalers (and friends that have been here before), this is AMAZING. It is like crack. I wanted to keep eating this and my friend and I both said we’d order this again if we were still hungry at the end of our meal. I haven’t tasted broccoli this tasty probably ever, and there are multiple reasons why. For starters, the broccoli itself was grilled and had a nice crispy taste to it. You could bite into it and taste the freshness in each piece. But before even tasting the broccoli, you’re greeted by this Korean BBQ fried goodness as soon as you put the piece in your mouth. I don’t know what sauce they use and how they make this dish, but please don’t ever change it. I’d come back here, just to eat this again. A definite must when you come here.
Broccoli Dogs — again, AMAZING. This place just does broccoli right! There was a large stemmed broccoli sitting inside this homemade bun. For starters, the bun is super tasty and melts in your mouth. Not dry at all, and you can taste the richness of the dough. The broccoli itself, all of it, was delicious. It had this smoky flavor that reminded me of going to India and eating corn or other vegges straight off of a charcoal grill. And not even grill, straight off the charcoal — that’s how perfectly smoky the broccoli was. There was this light mustard sauce that was on top, which gave it a nice tangy flavor, but the smokiness of the broccoli wins. This is also a definite when you come here.
Mushroom Pâté — this was underwhelming. Not only was it a small dish, which I don’t mind at all, as you’re paying for the flavors and delicacy of the food, but this just didn’t taste that well. There was mushroom, with sauteed pears, and truffle toast, where you’d pick up each item off the plate, spread it on the toast, and eat it. It wasn’t terribly filling nor did I feel as though the ingredients went well together.
I’m happy and all for it that Dirt Candy cares about its employees and ensuring that they can live comfortably. However, please don’t disguise the 20% mandatory gratuity as «oh we don’t take tips» because to me, that is essentially the tip anyway. Also, don’t ever try to call them — you’ll never get through! I called multiple times the evening of my reservation to give them the courtesy that I was running a bit late, but I never got a chance to speak to anyone. They allow you to leave a message, which I did, but wish they had a spot for you to wait for someone to pick up instead of immediately going to voicemail. It’s quite annoying.
Overall, solid spot and I’m glad I checked it out. I’d definitely come back and get the two broccoli dishes again!

Not sure how many vegetarian joints I’ve been to but this place easily takes the cake. Learned a few things:
— you can pickle a lot more than pickles
— KFB means Korean Fried Broccoli which also means ridiculous vegetarian
— I may love vegetarian restaurants

Ridiculous.
When I first heard of this place and read the restaurant reviews and the restaurant’s mission statements, I was taken aback by the overt ego of Chef Amanda Cohen.
I get it. You can cook vegetables. You’re a big deal. Clap.
She deserves to have a few plumped cauliflower heads of pride.
Creative flavor explosions and combinations that we mere mortals cannot dream.
Most things can be made gluten free. Lots of flexibility and a good wine menu.
Great digs. Great concept. Great brains unite. AND… to make it all more bada$$…20% gratuity is added in order to give all employees insurance.
Dirt Candy wins.

One of the finest cooked and presented meals of my life. My 3 companions and I opted for the 6-​course tasting menu that actually turned out to be at least 24 plates of food. The flavor combinations were startlingly good. Who knew that black bean sauce and crème fraîche were a great accompaniment for fennel? A hard table to book but worth it.

Meh. Overall very disappointed in my meal here. My friend and I came the first month that it opened (or reopened, rather), so this is long outdated. He’s a vegetarian, and I just eat a lot, so we were both extremely excited.
We tried:
— Vegetable monkey bread: this may have been the best part of the meal. Creatively presented in a flower pot with a delicious spread.
— Korean fried broccoli: this proves that you can fry anything to make it palatable. Don’t get me wrong, I love broccoli, but I didn’t enjoy this at all. The broccoli had a bitter undertone that made this unpleasant.
— Jalapeño hush puppies w/​maple butter: this was another hit, but partially because once you slather butter on anything it becomes delicious.
— Mapo eggplant: way too one-​note (salty) with no real texture, and came cold. Why cold?
— Squash entrée: bland, my friend didn’t even finish this.
— Onion tart: surprisingly good, but not a dessert that blew my mind in any way outside of the fact that it contained onions.
Offsetting the relatively disappointing food was the service (they took the squash off our check when they saw that it was basically untouched) and a fantastic wine list. I had the Goldmuskateller, which was like nothing I’d ever had before and probably like nothing I’ll have since as it’s impossible to track down.
I understand they’ve rehauled the menu since I went, so a revisit could be warranted.

Chef Amanda Cohen’s eatery is gastronomical wizardry.
Tonight I sailed my way through a 6 course tasting menu and every dessert on the menu, and it was more awe inspiring than so many Michelin starred places along the way.
Some of the greatest moments, forgive me if I missed some. The sum was delightful.
Korean Fried Broccoli:
Broccoli is breaded with panko, deep fried, tossed in gochugang sauce, sesame seeds, and garlic dressing.
Broccoli Hot Dogs:
Grilled and smoked broccoli dogs with broccoli kraut and mustard barbecue sauce
Brussels Sprout Tacos:
Brussels sprouts tossed in Mexican bistek sauce and served on a sizzling stone
Cauliflower Curry:
Cauliflower and curry with green pea saag, papaya chutney and pappadam.
Desserts ~
CELERY CHEESECAKE ROLL w/​Celeriac Ice Cream.
CARROT MERINGUE PIE w/​candied carrot chips, sour cream ice cream.
ONION CHOCOLATE TART w/​smoked almond ice cream.
CORN CAKE w/​popcorn ice cream.
VEGETABLE ICE CREAM SALAD w/​lettuce sorbet, cucumber sorbet, yellow beet ice cream, grilled radicchio ice cream, goat cheese ice cream, walnut cake croutons, maraschino grapefruit, dill sprinkles.
If you are fortunate to attain a reservation it may just be the best place you have ever eaten.

When my buds and I first arrived, we had a resy but even for a Wednesday night, we still had to wait like twenty — thirty mins. before being seated. The hostess checked in with us several times to inform us of the delay and the restaurant did good by us to make things right before the end of the night given our unusually long wait time.
When we were seated, we were given two «long» menus — one was for drinks (which offered both alcohol and non-​alcohol), on one side it was for wines (sparkling, red, white, rosé) on the other, it was for non-​alcoholic and specialty cocktails. The other menu was the main dining menu — left side shows the sides/​snacks, then top to mid page was the tasting plates and all the way at the bottom were two larger meal offerings which are great for sharing. The back of the main menu is a good conversation starter, it was full of fun facts about the restaurant or the food it serves. Very comical and a great read while sampling their house «Monkey» Bread. Note: I was told the menu changes seasonally so it is possible things I mention now may not be available on your next visit. The monkey bread was a combo of spinach bread, carrot bread, and beet bread all baked into sections but still attached to one another. Served in a terra cotta plant-​like pot. Very creative, yummy and a whimsical design. Accompanied by their fresh in-​house made butter.
We ordered a few snacks to start … First and foremost, Unilocal worthy mention (as Zagat reviews also agree) — a MUST try, was the Gochujang Korean Fried Broccoli (aka KFB, when ordering). This awesome Korean style fried broccoli is a wake-​up call to my taste buds. Loved it! It is seasoned with a mildly spicy Korean chili paste/​glaze and yogurt sauce topped with scallions. The broccoli was soft but not overcooked and the flavors of the glaze and yogurt combined, just exploded in my mouth. It had a nice sharp flavor. If you don’t normally like broccoli, this may well change your mind.
Another starter we tried and worth mentioning were the jalapeño hush puppies with maple butter. Had just the right amount of heat — I’m not a fan of spicy but this was not overwhelming. It is safe for the non-​spicy loving palates. You can taste both the hush puppy and the jalapeño. Also ordered the curried fries but nothing worth noting, it was like curry gravy and cheese sprinkled on top of the fries. I expected more from this dish. It needed more curry and the fries itself was not cooked right. I didn’t get that crunch on the outside and soft texture inside. They were kinda just dry.
More standouts: The Portobello Mousse with sautéed Asian pears, cherries, and truffle toast. This is another MUST try. It reminded me of eating «foie gras» with toast… texture wise but the flavor, wow. And it’s all vegetarian even though it didn’t taste like it! We also ordered the carrot sliders. I am a meat lover so this didn’t satisfy me in the flavor department but both execution of presentation and textures were spot on. Almost like eating a real burger. It was stacked on a mini bun and the carrot itself was thick symbolic of a patty… very creative and enjoyable.
Other dishes we tried but I don’t need to rave about, they speak for themselves based on ingredients: black radish spaghetti with radish ravioli, radish greens pesto and horseradish. We also tried the Cauliflower and Curry of which I enjoyed a lot but too bad I had to share. It was not that easy to share given how it’s presented. The green pea saag and papaya chutney gave it more flavor and color. Beautifully plated.
We were so full given we ordered a few more snack dishes and the hot pot for 2, it was a lot of food. I didn’t think I would be that satisfied in a vegetarian restaurant but Chef Cohen got it all right. Menu is fun and experiencing these dishes with fellow meat lovers made it more interesting. We didn’t order dessert but the sent us a complimentary corn cake accompanied by a scoop of popcorn ice cream and a scoop of popcorn sorbet. It was unique and did taste like «corn» — very inventive.
So vegetarians… go try this place… carnivores that don’t mind eating vegetarian, go try this place. It’s a delight for all. Try the beet lemonade too. The color is so vibrant and it was a nice mix of flavors.

This food is every bit as fantastic as everyone says — so creative and unexpected! Their housemade bread is mouth watering, the Korean Fried Broccoli is like crack, and all of the veggie-​based drinks sound bizzare but taste amazing. I especially loved the Broccoli Dogs — instead of being a tube of fake meat, its a stalk of broccoli in place of the hottdog, with all the (higher end versions of) condiments. The Brussel Sprout Taco platter was also amazing — assemble your own lettuce wraps with sizzling sprouts, cojita cheese, smoked guac, jalapenos, tortilla strips, etc.
So there’s a note about 20% added for the entire staff who gets paid a fair wage. I fully support this — its just a bummer that towards the end of the meal we couldn’t get anyone to look at us. I had to get up and go ask the hostess for our bill after spending 20 minutes trying to get any of the wait staff to come over.
That won’t dissuade me from going back though — the food was just too good!

Ambience, great service, creative and delicious food… Dirt Candy has it all!
Came here on a Thursday night with three of my girlfriends. It’s a bit of a trek for rush hour from midtown, but well worth it!
Started off the meal with the alcoholic lemonade, which was meh. Didn’t really have any lemon taste and wasn’t as refreshing as lemonade, but the alcohol was strong and definitely present. Nothing worse than ordering a cocktail and getting a juice. So at least there was alcohol lol. The service was great though! Funny waiter with an amusing hipster act (I think). He explained the menu to us, suggested some dishes and left us to our own devices. Everything is vegetable based (hence dirt candy). We ended up ordering:
–potted bread (this is complimentary): really enjoyed the presentation! Fun and playful! Bread was warm and soft and butter was nice and garlicky.
–Korean fried broccoli: one of my favorites, a must order in my book if you love Korean fried chicken as much as I do!
–jalapeño hush puppies in maple butter: another one of my favorites. Smokey, savory, sweet, and spicy… Mmm
–mushroom dish: that mousse was so nomz
–rutabaga and cream: delicious! When the waitress was bringing the dish to our table, the presentation got messed up a little (the layers tipped over on the dish) and she apologized and kindly asked if she could fix it and bring it back to us. I was so impressed that the waitress took so much pride in the presentation of the dish. Big points to you, miss!
–warm potato salad: very interesting. It was a spiralized potato salad. Not my favorite but was Bri interesting.
–cauliflower curry dish: …was not a fan of this one. The curry soup would’ve been okay if not for the overwhelming ginger flavors. Cauliflower was also on the bland side.
–onion chocolate tart for dessert: innnteresting dish! Yes, even the desserts have veggies in them haha.
Overall a great experience here! Would definitely come again!
TLDR: great service, fun and delicious food!

What a great spot! Event though it’s on a main drag it feels kind off the beaten trail. I came here with 4 friends for a birthday brunch and it was spectacular! The cocktails are top notch (I tasted friends but didn’t order as I was struggling with a cold). Our server Kighla was very attentive, really quick with getting the food out.
I had the Canadian Cracker and was hard pressed to finish it. I mean just the glory and the rapture … It was phenomenal. We also shared the red pepper fritters and tomato biscuits — both were incredibly succulent and just done really well. I’d be interested to check it out for dinner. All and all though I really pleased with the experience. Do note — they play nature sounds in the bathrooms — so no, you’re not going crazy hearing crickets.

Excited to try Dirt Candy’s new location near Chinatown, we went early on a Saturday for brunch. Since dinner reservations are booked months in advance, I was expecting a line. To my shock, the restaurant was not even full ! We sat at the bar, with a fun view of the kitchen, busy prep-​ing for the evening.
The food was fantastic. We started with the assortment of viennoiserie: chocolate onion croissant, beet coffee cake, and fennel sicky bun. Then we split a corn french toast and a green eggs and (no)ham. Each of these dishes had complex tastes to admire and discuss. Explosions for the senses! I’m still thinking of the chocolate onion croissant as I’m writing this review: it’s so perfect, you wonder, «Why hasn’t anyone tried this before!?» I now want the world to reinvent the croissant. Thank you, Amanda Cohen.

Wow. Jimmy the bartender is the most amazing, hilarious, genuine and entertaining bartender ever! If u cannot get a table this is so much better.
Tasting menu is crazy…
APPETIZER
1. Monkey bread. What the hell! What is this! And why is it monkey anything? This is incredible!
2. Broccoli ¹²⁄₁₀ why don’t we cover all vegetables in Korean sweet and sour sauce?!
3. Fennel biscuit — ⁹⁄₁₀. Only because I don’t like fennel.
4. Portobello mushroom with mushroom patee delicious! ⁹⁄₁₀ So much flavor. Dehydrated Apple wasn’t sure why it was on the plate but still delic
ENTREE
1. Rutabaga — cake like dish with a nest that tastes like winter. So unique.
2 grilled broccoli hotdogs — ¹²⁄₁₀ wow. The bread melts in your mouth with the sauerkraut with mustard is the amazing
3. Cauliflower stir fry — curry broth with dumplings my fiancé loved it but the flavor was a little strong for me.
4. Brussels sprout tacos — smoked guac, radish, picked cabbage, jalapeños, and more and more and more so great to put together in lettuce leaves and so much flavor!
DESSERT
*disclaimer you might want to change into some sweat pants*
Celery cheesecake and popcorn cake. Do it!

My dad was in town (who is vegetarian) and we decided to take him here for lunch. He is also a new Unilocal user and was getting excited by looking at the pictures of the dishes that other Unilocalers had posted. Unfortunately all the dishes that looked good to him were only available for dinner!
What we ordered:
Layered Omelet — One of the better dishes. Very flavorful, and of course you can’t go wrong with whipped goat cheese.
Green Huevos and No ham — the potatoes that this dish came with were out of the world amazing. They had a hint of truffle which wasn’t too overpowering. Order this as a side if available!
Spinach Ramen Noodle salad — skip this. The texture of the noodles was slimy which made it unbearable to eat
Tomato biscuits — interesting idea and interesting flavors, however if you take a few bites you get the idea. Worth ordering if you’re curious but just order 1 (1 order comes with 2 biscuits).
Will try to come here for dinner!

Even if you are not a vegetarian, you must dine at Dirt Candy! I would recommend to plan well in advance for reservations, although I believe the restaurant also keeps a few seats available for walk ins. All dishes are smaller tapas-​style so you can try a number. The flavors, textures and presentations are all amazing and unique.
My favorite dish was the Portobello mushroom mouse — it was cool, smooth and rich, with a silky texture reminiscent of foie gras. It’s really incredible what the chef has accomplished with this dish — it would literally surprise any carnivore. Other favorites included: Korean fried broccoli and Jalapeño Hush puppies for appetizers. The brussels sprouts tacos and broccoli «hot dogs» were also absolutely delicious… and let’s not forget the delightful «monkey bread» which arrives soon after you order.
This is not a restaurant that is aiming to only please vegans and vegetarians. Even if you are a carnivore, it will impress you just the same… and it will leave you wanting more!

It’s been years since I’ve been wanting to try this restaurant, and the delay is due to the unsurprising fact that no one wants to splurge on vegetarian fare.
Luckily, one of my college friends sent me a list of places where we could meet up for dinner, and this was on the list. I pounced at the rare opportunity.
No regrets. You will splurge, but you won’t feel bad about it if you like delicious food and veggies. Here’s why: everything tastes amazing. They play with flavors like no one’s business. The creativity is off the charts, and it’s what makes the food not only delicious and Instagrammable, but totally entertaining. As soon as you look at the menu, you know you’re in for a treat. We spent a good ten minutes laughing over the fun facts on the back of the menu.
Snacks/​Appetizers:
We went with the Korean Fried Broccoli. It was as good as it sounds.
Vegetables:
We got the Mushroom, Cauliflower, and Eggplant. Note: I’m not being sassy with you. The main dishes ARE named by the primary vegetable ingredient, which is kind of cool. Eggplant was spicy with mapo tofu. The Sichuan girl in me jumped for joy. Mushroom had to be eaten a specific way (the server will enlighten you) to send your tastebuds skyrocketing.
Oh not to mention the «monkey bread» that arrives soon after you order. It comes in funky colors and tastes just like bread – no surprises there.
I hear the brunch here is also amazing. I would be down to come back if I can convince someone to splurge on veggies.

What a great name for a vegetarian restaurant, and it turns out to be quite an accurate description. I only became aware of chef Amanda Cohen not from Iron Chef America but from her appearance on Ming Tsai’s cooking show on PBS when she made a simple carrot pasta with grilled carrot & corn salsa. I tried to get into her former place the last time I was in New York, but I found out there were only 18 seats. A last-​minute reservation was impossible, so I was happy to find out she relocated to a much bigger space in the Lower East Side on the edge of Chinatown. In fact, from a distance, I had thought this was a Chinese candy emporium until I saw it was indeed Dirt Candy.
It turns out they offer walk-​in brunches on the weekend, so I ambled over from my hotel at 11:30AM to see only about five people waiting in line. I was seated quite easily at the counter in front of the biscuit prep area. The menu was a splash of retro-​fun with dishes succinctly presented in different fonts (photo:
). I seriously needed to wet my whistle, so I ordered the $ 14 Poolside Breeze, a refreshing, deep green mimosa-​like concoction mixing prosecco spritzer, cilantro and cucumber (photo:
). As I was watching the sous chef making the biscuits, I decided I needed the $ 4 pair of Tomato Biscuits, which came with little ramekins of basil butter and green tomato jam (photo:
).
Apparently, they make dehydrated tomato powder to mix more seamlessly with the flour, and the result was flavorful and light balancing nicely between savory and sweet. For my main dish, I went for the $ 16 Layered Omelette with a mint cilantro radish filling and whipped goat cheese (photo:
). It was a fresh take on an egg dish that took off with their housemade hot sauce, but thanks to the recommendation of the server, the real plate stealer were the pan-​fried potatoes, perfectly seasoned with sliced jalapeño peppers. I could have easily had a triple order of those and still had room for a chocolate donut at the Doughnut Plant. What a nice treat to find a vegetarian restaurant so eager to punch up their dishes with big flavors.
FOOD — 5 stars… extremely flavorful dishes that happen to be vegetarian
AMBIANCE — 4 stars… bright and spacious with a girlish flair
SERVICE — 4 stars… attentive but not patronizing, veg-​heads can be nice
TOTAL — 5 stars… even vegetarian restaurants can be foodie destinations, honest